FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Date Unknown (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of White House

Beijing, China - May 26, 2022 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wu Qian, spokesman, Ministry of National Defense:
"It is known to all that the U.S. has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. In recent years, the U.S., in order to ensure its absolute security and military superiority, has pulled itself out of several international treaties on arms control like the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, consistently pushed the deployment of anti-missile systems worldwide, sought to deploy land-based intermediate-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific, and formed a Cold-War type of clique by carrying out nuclear submarine cooperation with Australia. All of this has a seriously negative impact on the international arms control system."

FILE: Washington D.C., USA - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
3. Various of Capitol building, U.S. national flag

Beijing, China - May 26, 2022 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wu Qian, spokesman, Ministry of National Defense:
"China pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense, follows a nuclear policy of no first use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and pledges unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones. China has kept its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security. This policy is clear and definite."

FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Various of Tian'anmen Square, Chinese national flag

Beijing, China - May 26, 2022 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Wu Qian, spokesman, Ministry of National Defense:
"At the beginning of this year, the leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states including China issued a Joint Statement on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Race, in which they affirmed that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought and reaffirmed that none of their nuclear weapons should be targeted at each other or at any other state. They committed themselves to preserving and complying with bilateral and multilateral arms control agreements, and emphasized that the five states should avoid military confrontations and prevent arms race. We hope the U.S. will abandon the outdated Cold-War, zero-sum mentality and the narrow geopolitical concept, actively fulfill its international obligations of nuclear non-proliferation, and meet China halfway to jointly preserve regional and global peace, stability and prosperity."

FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Aerial shots of Chinese national flag, Tian'anmen Rostrum

Facts have proven that the U.S. is the greatest nuclear threat to the international community, said a Chinese defense ministry spokesman at a regular press conference in Beijing on Thursday.

Senior Colonel Wu Qian, spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a recent statement made by a U.S. military official.

It is reported that Charles Richard, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, said in a recent Senate hearing that Washington faces a heightened nuclear deterrence risk when it comes to Russia and China, and that China will likely use nuclear coercion to its advantage in the future considering its quick expansion of nuclear arsenal in recent years, with considerable growth in its land-, sea- and air-based nuclear forces.

Wu said that the U.S officer is just exaggerating the so-called nuclear threats from China in total disregard of facts. His purpose is no other than finding an excuse for Washington's own nuclear weapon development and maintaining and cementing its global domination.

"It is known to all that the U.S. has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world. In recent years, the U.S., in order to ensure its absolute security and military superiority, has pulled itself out of several international treaties on arms control like the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, consistently pushed the deployment of anti-missile systems worldwide, sought to deploy land-based intermediate-range missiles in Europe and the Asia-Pacific, and formed a Cold-War type of clique by carrying out nuclear submarine cooperation with Australia. All of this has a seriously negative impact on the international arms control system," he said.

Wu pointed out that at the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) not long ago, the U.S. released a negative signal by refusing to adopt a "no first use" policy. What the U.S. said and did have increased the risk of a breakout of nuclear confrontation or even a nuclear war, implying grave hazards to international security.

"China pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense, follows a nuclear policy of no first use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and pledges unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones. China has kept its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security. This policy is clear and definite, " he said.

"At the beginning of this year, the leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states including China issued a Joint Statement on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Race, in which they affirmed that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought and reaffirmed that none of their nuclear weapons should be targeted at each other or at any other state. They committed themselves to preserving and complying with bilateral and multilateral arms control agreements, and emphasized that the five states should avoid military confrontations and prevent arms race. We hope the U.S. will abandon the outdated Cold-War, zero-sum mentality and the narrow geopolitical concept, actively fulfill its international obligations of nuclear non-proliferation, and meet China halfway to jointly preserve regional and global peace, stability and prosperity," he said.